Page 82 of Line Change

Jealousy hits so hard I stop walking.

We agreed nobody else. Ben made me say it while he was inside me, then said it back. Now he’s hugging some twink in public after two nights of telling me he was busy.

I’ve never seen him hug any man in public.

Bobby bumps my shoulder from behind. “Move.”

I take one step because he pushes me into it. Ben’s head comes up, and his arms loosen around the guy.

He sees me, and the guilt on his face makes everything worse.

“Hey,” Bobby calls. “Who’s your friend?”

Ben lets the guy go but keeps one hand on his shoulder as the rest of us reach them. A small suitcase and a duffel sit against the wall near the security desk.

“This is Grayson,” Ben says. His attention catches on me before he looks back at the others. “My little brother.”

Ben gets through Bobby, Sindre, and Caleb, then looks at me and stops.

Well, fuck. I was jealous of his little brother.

Grayson Pope is Vasya Korolev’s boyfriend. I’ve seen pictures, although the ones that reach hockey media usually involve Korolev taking up most of the frame. In person, Grayson is even smaller beside Ben.

“I came by to say goodbye,” Grayson says. “I’ve been here since Friday and still hadn’t seen the place. My flight’s tonight.”

Ben spent the last two days with his little brother and never told me. He could have texted My brother’s here and saved me from wondering whether a bite mark sent him into hiding.

There isn’t even anything private about the visit. Ben introduces Grayson to half the team without hesitating, but he couldn’t tell me who was sleeping in his guest room. He let me think whatever I wanted instead.

Ben looks sorry when his eyes meet mine. I turn to Grayson instead.

“I’m Nolan.”

“Yeah, I know.” Grayson takes the hand I offer. His grip is stronger than I expect. “Hi.”

Ben stands beside him with his shoulders too square, watching us as if he expects me to follow nice to meet you with a detailed description of what his dick tastes like.

Come on. I’m not that bad.

“You like Seattle?” Caleb asks.

“Yeah. I went up to Capitol Hill yesterday.” Grayson glances around at the five hockey players surrounding him. “Some guy tried to talk me into staying for a jockstrap thing.”

Bobby’s grin slips. “A jockstrap thing?”

“There are like three of those,” I tell Grayson. “If it was the one on Pike, don’t bother.”

Grayson forgets Bobby after that. It was the one on Pike, but he left and ended up at Marlowe’s. I tell him he made the right call. Ben watches me through all of it, waiting for the conversation to turn dangerous.

That pisses me off too. He should know me better than that.

Grayson’s phone beeps. He checks the screen. “That’s my Uber.”

Ben gets the duffel before Grayson can pick it up and carries both bags toward the lobby. We follow as far as the glass doors because Bobby is still talking to Grayson and apparently plans to continue until the car physically removes him.

A dark sedan pulls up at the curb. Ben carries the bags outside and loads them into the trunk, then comes back around while Grayson waits beside the open rear door.

“Text me when you get through security,” Ben says.